The weblog you are about to read is a recorded history. On a regular basis I will be posting, chronologically, entries of a correspondence written between my maternal grandparents shortly after the end of WWII, during the Allied occupation of Japan. My grandfather was an Army Major stationed in Japan on General MacArthur's staff, and my grandmother was at home in the United States. I invite you to join me in this experiment and follow their lives in this weblog.

Cranes (Meiji silk painting)

Welcome New Visitors!

To start at the beginning of this blog, please click on the January 9, 2010, post in the Blog Archive below.

Followers

Monday, December 19, 2011

Maj. Gillham is about to embark on his last trip before leaving Japan for good. My mother (Monty) remembers well the pigeon funeral mentioned in this letter, as well as receiving the boxes of swords. The ancient sword is still in the family.

Tokyo16 Apr 46

Dearest Love,

Just received yours of 9 Apr telling of the pigeon funeral. I had a good laugh over it. I know Monty enjoyed being chief mourner.

If Mother Ki was worried over that turtle she should have seen some of the varmints they used to bring in at Robles.

I am glad to hear that you are past the crisis and are feeling fine again. Are you keeping a record of dates? It should be convenient to have a history of several months compiled.

I am leaving in the morning by plane for Kyushu. It promises to be an interesting trip. Several of the Japanese Power officials are going to meet us and show us around.

Today I mailed a box of swords and other items. I have another similar box I will send when I return. The short sword is nothing exceptional, but the blade in the plain case was presented to a Japanese Major General commanding the 13th Division and is a fine piece of steel, though not old. I also have a blade that is 470 years old. I also sent a package containing five volumes of the reports I have been working on here. These are the non-confidential copies.

Enclosed is a picture which shows a good example of a Japanese sign in English. Note the hyphenation.

I am certainly glad you are all well again and hope you will stay that way now that spring is here.

All promotions to Lt. Col. have now been suspended throughout the army. However, this does not affect the ones given on terminal leave.

It is certainly fine that the time for me to return to my darling is drawing near. It may take some time yet, but at least I am beginning to move in that direction.